A BITTER row over grazing rights has split upland farmers who fear a centuries-old way of life is under threat.

Sheep producers on Llanllechid Common, near Bethesda, say they are battling for survival after rival graziers formed a limited company with the backing of Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) and the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).

Llanllechid Mountain Company (LMC), underwritten by SNPA’s Tir Rhaglen Eryri scheme, will pay members £6-£7 per ewe to remove sheep from the mountain for five months every winter.

The scheme is supported by conservationists who hope upland habitats will benefit from reduced sheep grazing.

Rebel graziers are refusing to join the company because they claim their ancient farm systems will collapse under the proposed arrangements.

As a result some have lost thousands of pounds after being denied Single Farm Payment and Tir Mynydd entitlements.

Rob Pritchard, secretary of Llanllechid Graziers Association, claims he’s up to £35,000 out of pocket and is now taking legal action.

“It’s caused a rift between the grazers,” he said.

“Some have land in the lowlands and don’t keep sheep on the mountain during winter, so they have an incentive to take the payment.

“But about 40% of the grazers must graze sheep up there all year. Where else would we put them?”

Uniquely in Wales, Llanellechid parish council registered a block of 25,000 grazing rights following the Commons Registration Act 1965. It gave everyone in the parish the right to graze Llanllechid Common.

Tenants on the Penrhyn estate also have grazing rights there, and individual sheep farmers have a further block of rights, a total of around 38,500.

Over the years this total has been eroded as farmers quit but even in the late 1990s some 22,000 sheep grazed there.

The 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak caused further falls and at the last count around 14,000 sheep were on the common.

Despite this, conservationists are worried about overgrazing and want sheep numbers cut to 10,800 during summer months and removed altogether during the winter.

LMC membership costs just £10 but unlike a similar arrangement on nearby Aber and Llanfairfechan common, introduced in 2006, support has not been unanimous.

Rebels allege the company was not properly constituted and claim payments should be based on the full 38,500 grazing rights. They allege the parish council, as trustees of the original 25,000 grazing rights, negotiated lower payments.

Others say they should be allowed to continue grazing as before to retain hefted flocks on the mountain.

“Once the sheep are removed from the mountain, they will never return,” said grazier Dafydd Morris.

Rod Williams, former HSBC manager for North Wales, has now been brought in to mediate in the dispute. A new settlement deadline has been set for September 31 but before then members must agree voting principles at the company’s AGM on August 11.

The rebels also allege the company is arbitrarily re-allocating grazing rights. Local caravan park owner Merfyn Jones, who bought a flock of 300 ewes 10 years ago, has seen his allocation slashed to 50.

In an attempt to clarify the company’s status, the graziers have even made Freedom of Information requests.

LMC chairman Wyn Bowen Harris expressed surprise at the dissent: “Over the past two months we’ve had three meetings, lasting over 10 hours, and no one has raised concerns.

“Under the scheme’s terms graziers must be members to get an allocation of grazing rights. As trustees, the council has a duty for all the inhabitants, not just the graziers. It is a unique system but there’s no way we can manage the common in any other way.”